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Across the Water
Secrets can pull you under…
In a remote, boat-access only house, Liz Dawson’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she watches the people who live in the three identical houses that sit side by side across the creek. But it’s the middle house Liz finds herself drawn to most: the beautiful young mother, Delilah Waters, and her baby.
When Dee and her baby go missing, last seen by the murky waters of Myall Lake, it is a suspected murder-suicide. After all, it’s no secret that Dee Waters never wanted children. She wasn’t coping with the baby. Everyone in the town believes she leapt to her death, taking her child with her. Everyone except Liz.
Wrestling with her own demons, Liz risks everything to uncover a truth that becomes more complex with every twist. Of all people, Liz knows that just because someone is a reluctant mother, it doesn’t mean they don’t love their child. And it doesn’t mean they’re capable of murder… does it?
The Woman in the Window meets The Hand that Rocked the Cradle, Across the Water explores the darker side of motherhood, the pressure to conform, and how women’s choices shape their fate.
In a remote, boat-access only house, Liz Dawson’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she watches the people who live in the three identical houses that sit side by side across the creek. But it’s the middle house Liz finds herself drawn to most: the beautiful young mother, Delilah Waters, and her baby.
When Dee and her baby go missing, last seen by the murky waters of Myall Lake, it is a suspected murder-suicide. After all, it’s no secret that Dee Waters never wanted children. She wasn’t coping with the baby. Everyone in the town believes she leapt to her death, taking her child with her. Everyone except Liz.
Wrestling with her own demons, Liz risks everything to uncover a truth that becomes more complex with every twist. Of all people, Liz knows that just because someone is a reluctant mother, it doesn’t mean they don’t love their child. And it doesn’t mean they’re capable of murder… does it?
The Woman in the Window meets The Hand that Rocked the Cradle, Across the Water explores the darker side of motherhood, the pressure to conform, and how women’s choices shape their fate.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2019
84 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Ingrid Alexandra
5 books29 followersIngrid Alexandra is based in London. She was mentored by the Guardian First Novel Award shortlisted and Nestle Prize winning author Daren King and her work has previously been long-listed for The Ampersand Prize.
THE NEW GIRL is her first psychological thriller novel.
THE NEW GIRL is her first psychological thriller novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 10, 2020
I chose to read this book because (even though it makes me shallow) it had a fabulous cover. The blurb made it sound interesting too. What I didn’t realise until later was that it was written by Ingrid Alexandra whose first book, The New Girl, was not one of my favourites last year. And, unfortunately, this book won’t be going on my favourites list any time soon either.
After three weeks of marriage, Liz and Adam come to Australia from England to put Adam’s recently passed father’s house on the market. Adam goes off to work in Sydney most days, leaving Liz, who is suffering from PTSD following a tragedy at her workplace, at the house where she spends her days spying on the neighbours who live across the water (the water in question being a creek running between their houses and Adam's father's). The neighbours, Dee and her baby, Erica and her hubby, and single ladies man, Zac, are in clear view and Liz interprets scenes, assuming tension between them regularly. Then, Dee goes missing and Liz starts to suspect, of course, foul play.
I had many questions regarding the plot.
Why does Liz hate Australia so much, especially when she’s been here a mere couple of days? Why does Liz complain about being isolated when she is so close to other people, she can literally see into their houses? Why does Liz whinge about being in the middle of nowhere and yet be so close to Sydney that it's possible for Adam to commute there for work? Why would a woman who has been married for only three weeks be showing such an interest in another man (that seven year itch is now about seven days apparently)? Why does Liz, from England, get so cold all the time? And then why does Liz say it’s not even cold just a few chapters later? Why does no one seem to know that Adam’s father had passed away? Why does Liz not see the police or SES across the water when Dee goes missing? Why is there no media across the water when Dee goes missing? Why does Liz hate our native birds so? Why are plovers suddenly a rare bird of Australia? Why do I have so many questions?
I had questions as to the actual layout of the creek and the houses. There was a bridge between the houses, but then sometimes the bridge was under water and Liz needed to use a boat to get across the creek and I don’t even know…
I question Alexandra's decision to use multiple narrators. Liz and Dee and Erica all ended up sounding exactly the same, despite them supposedly being different ages, for starters. Alexandra really really should have just stuck with Liz’s POV.
I question why Alexandra jumped around in the timeline. I would question whether or not anyone would take any notice of the actual dates. Just present tense and flashbacks would have sufficed.
I have questions about everyone's unhealthy relationship with alcohol in Alexandra's books. Yes, everyone was drunk all the time in The New Girl and all the characters are again borderline alcoholics. And, again, like in the New Girl, no one stops drinking even when they’re pregnant/breastfeeding/on prescription drugs etc. WTF.
There is no question about the fact that I would be loath to race out and try anymore of Alexandra’s books but, to give ‘constructive’ criticism (in inverted commas as I question whether there really is such a thing as constructive criticism and wonder if it is simply criticism), I think she needs to stick with writing younger characters. Every character in this book sounded no older than 22 or so anyway. I would also say she needs to start writing more likeable characters. For two books now I haven’t really cared about her leads or their woes, real and imagined. And thirdly, I would suggest she gets an editor. Or at least one who will keep everything straight, point out plot holes, and be willing to make changes. This book could have been okay if the editors/publishers were less indulgent.
I did like the cover...
1 1/2, maybe 2 out of 5
After three weeks of marriage, Liz and Adam come to Australia from England to put Adam’s recently passed father’s house on the market. Adam goes off to work in Sydney most days, leaving Liz, who is suffering from PTSD following a tragedy at her workplace, at the house where she spends her days spying on the neighbours who live across the water (the water in question being a creek running between their houses and Adam's father's). The neighbours, Dee and her baby, Erica and her hubby, and single ladies man, Zac, are in clear view and Liz interprets scenes, assuming tension between them regularly. Then, Dee goes missing and Liz starts to suspect, of course, foul play.
I had many questions regarding the plot.
Why does Liz hate Australia so much, especially when she’s been here a mere couple of days? Why does Liz complain about being isolated when she is so close to other people, she can literally see into their houses? Why does Liz whinge about being in the middle of nowhere and yet be so close to Sydney that it's possible for Adam to commute there for work? Why would a woman who has been married for only three weeks be showing such an interest in another man (that seven year itch is now about seven days apparently)? Why does Liz, from England, get so cold all the time? And then why does Liz say it’s not even cold just a few chapters later? Why does no one seem to know that Adam’s father had passed away? Why does Liz not see the police or SES across the water when Dee goes missing? Why is there no media across the water when Dee goes missing? Why does Liz hate our native birds so? Why are plovers suddenly a rare bird of Australia? Why do I have so many questions?
I had questions as to the actual layout of the creek and the houses. There was a bridge between the houses, but then sometimes the bridge was under water and Liz needed to use a boat to get across the creek and I don’t even know…
I question Alexandra's decision to use multiple narrators. Liz and Dee and Erica all ended up sounding exactly the same, despite them supposedly being different ages, for starters. Alexandra really really should have just stuck with Liz’s POV.
I question why Alexandra jumped around in the timeline. I would question whether or not anyone would take any notice of the actual dates. Just present tense and flashbacks would have sufficed.
I have questions about everyone's unhealthy relationship with alcohol in Alexandra's books. Yes, everyone was drunk all the time in The New Girl and all the characters are again borderline alcoholics. And, again, like in the New Girl, no one stops drinking even when they’re pregnant/breastfeeding/on prescription drugs etc. WTF.
There is no question about the fact that I would be loath to race out and try anymore of Alexandra’s books but, to give ‘constructive’ criticism (in inverted commas as I question whether there really is such a thing as constructive criticism and wonder if it is simply criticism), I think she needs to stick with writing younger characters. Every character in this book sounded no older than 22 or so anyway. I would also say she needs to start writing more likeable characters. For two books now I haven’t really cared about her leads or their woes, real and imagined. And thirdly, I would suggest she gets an editor. Or at least one who will keep everything straight, point out plot holes, and be willing to make changes. This book could have been okay if the editors/publishers were less indulgent.
I did like the cover...
1 1/2, maybe 2 out of 5
November 19, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘I don’t know how anyone could live here permanently. And they don’t, really. Not on this side of the water.’
The weight of secrets and the art of concealment underscores Ingrid Alexandra’s second novel, Across the Water. Following the success of her debut, The New Girl, Ingrid Alexandra serves up another gripping domestic suspense tale. With a searing look at motherhood, relationships, choices and fate, Across the Water issues readers with an intense read from cover to cover.
Set around an isolated Australian township surrounded by murky waters, Ingrid Alexandra’s second novel follows the lives of three different women. each of these these women find their lives tangled and complicated further by the secrets they carry. We meet Liz Dawson, a newcomer to Oyster Creek, who seems to find some comfort in spying on the suspicious actions of her neighbours from afar. Liz is a lonely woman, haunted by a past trauma and Liz’s obsession with her neighbours from across the creek seems to be a welcome distraction from her troubles. On the other side of the creek is Delilah, a woman battling with her new role as mother to baby Ruby. When Delilah and her infant daughter disappear, it is deemed as a possible case of suicide. It was no secret that Delilah was struggling with her parenting duties and a murder-suicide is the only plausible explanation for the disappearance of the mother and her baby daughter. But Liz is very apprehensive about this conclusion and she is certain that Delilah didn’t choose to end her life and the life of her child in the waters of Oyster Creek. It is up to Liz to debunk this theory and uncover the truth to this dark situation.
With comparisons drawn between this novel and The Hand that Rocked the Cradle, I was expecting big things from my first Ingrid Alexandra novel. I am so glad that I discovered the writing of this new author. I really enjoyed Across the Water, it was an addictive read!
From chapter one, we are immersed in the cool, icy, shady and mysterious waters of this remote Australian backwater locale. Alexandra does an excellent job of setting her scene. I could easily envisage the landscape of Oyster Creek. There was almost a surreal and eerie quality to this isolated Australian township. From the onset, I was very suspicious of what I would encounter as the events of the book surfaced. I also felt rather edgy and nervous of what I would be confronted with as Alexandra offered plenty of surprising shocks, revelations, suspects, red herrings and narrative blocks. It was really hard to keep my head above the water with this one, Ingrid Alexandra was constantly trying to pull me under!
Structured via three viewpoints and told in the form of multiple timeframes, Across the Water is rich in perspective and psychology. I enjoyed delving into the mixed up and complicated mindsets of the troubled characters of Alexandra’s latest tale. Each of the main protagonists has their own personal issues and baggage to contend with, which is dispersed as the book travels down its tumultuous path. This allows Alexandra to competently examine themes of relationships, marriage, trust, friendship, loneliness, isolation, disconnection, infidelity, motherhood, trauma and loss. I appreciated the way in which Alexandra critically interrogated these topics. With the added complication of an unreliable narrator added to the mix, Across the Water is a novel full of deceit and grey areas. Despite these gaps, I felt the pressure to read on and on, until I reached the bitter end of Alexandra’s new novel. What a journey!
If you are a domestic thriller fan, you will revel in Ingrid Alexandra’s moody, creepy and edgy new novel, Across the Water.
*Thanks extended to HarperCollins Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Across the Water is book #120 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
‘I don’t know how anyone could live here permanently. And they don’t, really. Not on this side of the water.’
The weight of secrets and the art of concealment underscores Ingrid Alexandra’s second novel, Across the Water. Following the success of her debut, The New Girl, Ingrid Alexandra serves up another gripping domestic suspense tale. With a searing look at motherhood, relationships, choices and fate, Across the Water issues readers with an intense read from cover to cover.
Set around an isolated Australian township surrounded by murky waters, Ingrid Alexandra’s second novel follows the lives of three different women. each of these these women find their lives tangled and complicated further by the secrets they carry. We meet Liz Dawson, a newcomer to Oyster Creek, who seems to find some comfort in spying on the suspicious actions of her neighbours from afar. Liz is a lonely woman, haunted by a past trauma and Liz’s obsession with her neighbours from across the creek seems to be a welcome distraction from her troubles. On the other side of the creek is Delilah, a woman battling with her new role as mother to baby Ruby. When Delilah and her infant daughter disappear, it is deemed as a possible case of suicide. It was no secret that Delilah was struggling with her parenting duties and a murder-suicide is the only plausible explanation for the disappearance of the mother and her baby daughter. But Liz is very apprehensive about this conclusion and she is certain that Delilah didn’t choose to end her life and the life of her child in the waters of Oyster Creek. It is up to Liz to debunk this theory and uncover the truth to this dark situation.
With comparisons drawn between this novel and The Hand that Rocked the Cradle, I was expecting big things from my first Ingrid Alexandra novel. I am so glad that I discovered the writing of this new author. I really enjoyed Across the Water, it was an addictive read!
From chapter one, we are immersed in the cool, icy, shady and mysterious waters of this remote Australian backwater locale. Alexandra does an excellent job of setting her scene. I could easily envisage the landscape of Oyster Creek. There was almost a surreal and eerie quality to this isolated Australian township. From the onset, I was very suspicious of what I would encounter as the events of the book surfaced. I also felt rather edgy and nervous of what I would be confronted with as Alexandra offered plenty of surprising shocks, revelations, suspects, red herrings and narrative blocks. It was really hard to keep my head above the water with this one, Ingrid Alexandra was constantly trying to pull me under!
Structured via three viewpoints and told in the form of multiple timeframes, Across the Water is rich in perspective and psychology. I enjoyed delving into the mixed up and complicated mindsets of the troubled characters of Alexandra’s latest tale. Each of the main protagonists has their own personal issues and baggage to contend with, which is dispersed as the book travels down its tumultuous path. This allows Alexandra to competently examine themes of relationships, marriage, trust, friendship, loneliness, isolation, disconnection, infidelity, motherhood, trauma and loss. I appreciated the way in which Alexandra critically interrogated these topics. With the added complication of an unreliable narrator added to the mix, Across the Water is a novel full of deceit and grey areas. Despite these gaps, I felt the pressure to read on and on, until I reached the bitter end of Alexandra’s new novel. What a journey!
If you are a domestic thriller fan, you will revel in Ingrid Alexandra’s moody, creepy and edgy new novel, Across the Water.
*Thanks extended to HarperCollins Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Across the Water is book #120 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
July 20, 2020
Liz and Adam Dawson are newlyweds from East London. When Adam's father passes away in Southern Australia, the couple travel there in order to settle his affairs. Adam's Dad's house was on the remote side of a creek and they live there on a temporary basis. Liz clearing out his father's effects, while Adam commutes regularly to Sydney so that he can handle the legal side of the estate.
Liz really minds the long days left alone in this foreign place. She hates the house and the location and can't wait to return to London. She has a perfect view of the three grand houses across the water from the loft in her father-in-law's house. She takes to watching them with binoculars she finds in the loft. She wonders if Adam's father used them to spy on his neighbours too....
She becomes obsessed with her neighbours activities - even more so when the beautiful woman in the middle house, along with her darling baby girl, goes missing...
MY THOUGHTS
A woman alone (for the most part), on the other side of the world from her home. An isolated locale, neighbours who are acting in a suspicious manner, and previous emotional trauma.... The setting played a huge part in giving this novel the 'creepy' factor. A tidal creek with few access points from one side to the other, one of which was via a mangrove.
The characters in this thriller were well depicted and I could easily imagine them and felt I knew them in some small way. If I had one grievance with the book is that the narrative jumped from person to person, and time line to time line too often. Or, at least often enough that I found myself wondering when the action was taking place.
This book examined parenthood. Those who wish desperately to have children, childless people and those who have children who they never really wanted. It also examines issues of trust and betrayal.
The story was suspenseful and the plot well executed. The ending was simultaneously satisfying and a tad ambiguous. A great conclusion for a psychological thriller novel.
This is my first read from Ingrid Alexandra, and I would readily read another of her novels. Recommended!
Liz really minds the long days left alone in this foreign place. She hates the house and the location and can't wait to return to London. She has a perfect view of the three grand houses across the water from the loft in her father-in-law's house. She takes to watching them with binoculars she finds in the loft. She wonders if Adam's father used them to spy on his neighbours too....
She becomes obsessed with her neighbours activities - even more so when the beautiful woman in the middle house, along with her darling baby girl, goes missing...
MY THOUGHTS
A woman alone (for the most part), on the other side of the world from her home. An isolated locale, neighbours who are acting in a suspicious manner, and previous emotional trauma.... The setting played a huge part in giving this novel the 'creepy' factor. A tidal creek with few access points from one side to the other, one of which was via a mangrove.
The characters in this thriller were well depicted and I could easily imagine them and felt I knew them in some small way. If I had one grievance with the book is that the narrative jumped from person to person, and time line to time line too often. Or, at least often enough that I found myself wondering when the action was taking place.
This book examined parenthood. Those who wish desperately to have children, childless people and those who have children who they never really wanted. It also examines issues of trust and betrayal.
The story was suspenseful and the plot well executed. The ending was simultaneously satisfying and a tad ambiguous. A great conclusion for a psychological thriller novel.
This is my first read from Ingrid Alexandra, and I would readily read another of her novels. Recommended!
May 23, 2020
"The Woman in the Window meets The Hand that Rocked the Cradle" says the description, so I immediately requested it. I really liked The Woman in the Window, therefore I thought this was going to be an interesting story. Moreover, the description also points out that the book "explores the darker side of motherhood, the pressure to conform, and how women's choices shape their fate", which called even more my attention.
Nevertheless, I'm disappointed. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I couldn't connect with the characters, because I felt like something was missing. I understand we can't know everything about them, but I think we must know enough to get us intrigued. And that's what was missing.
Liz works in a center for women who suffer domestic violence, but she's taken a compasionate leave after a traumatic event. She can't help feeling guilty for what happened. Now, she's on Pearl Bay with her husband, because he is trying to sell his father's house after his recent death. There're just a few houses, and their house is the only one at that side of the creek. The other houses, across the creek, belong to two couples and a man, Zac, who works at the bar.
Liz's husband goes to Sydney every day, in order to try to sell the house and his father's business. So Liz spends most of the time alone, and can't help being curious about who live in the houses at the other side of the creek. Once she starts seeing them, she feels like there's something odd going on with one of the couples and the woman with the baby in the middle house. Things start getting really weird, and she can't help making a connection with that traumatic event at work, so when Dee disappears, she knows it wasn't a voluntary disappearance.
Anyway, the fact that this books was just OK for me doesn't mean you won't enjoy it. This is just my opinion, as a reader and nothing more. I'm not expert, so please, if you're curious, go on and give it a try.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Nevertheless, I'm disappointed. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I couldn't connect with the characters, because I felt like something was missing. I understand we can't know everything about them, but I think we must know enough to get us intrigued. And that's what was missing.
Liz works in a center for women who suffer domestic violence, but she's taken a compasionate leave after a traumatic event. She can't help feeling guilty for what happened. Now, she's on Pearl Bay with her husband, because he is trying to sell his father's house after his recent death. There're just a few houses, and their house is the only one at that side of the creek. The other houses, across the creek, belong to two couples and a man, Zac, who works at the bar.
Liz's husband goes to Sydney every day, in order to try to sell the house and his father's business. So Liz spends most of the time alone, and can't help being curious about who live in the houses at the other side of the creek. Once she starts seeing them, she feels like there's something odd going on with one of the couples and the woman with the baby in the middle house. Things start getting really weird, and she can't help making a connection with that traumatic event at work, so when Dee disappears, she knows it wasn't a voluntary disappearance.
Anyway, the fact that this books was just OK for me doesn't mean you won't enjoy it. This is just my opinion, as a reader and nothing more. I'm not expert, so please, if you're curious, go on and give it a try.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
September 2, 2021
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Across The Water by Ingrid Alexandra. (2020).
In a remote Australian backwater, Liz's only lifeline to the real world is through her window where she is obsessively watching the three houses across the creek. It's the middle house that transfixes her: with beautiful Delilah and her angelic baby. When both mother and baby go missing, everybody in the town seems to believe it's a murder-suicide in the water perpetrated by Delilah. Everyone except Liz. Wrestling with her demons, Liz risks everything to uncover a truth that becomes darker at every corner...
Unfortunately I have to admit that I didn't really like this book much. I thought there were a lot of things that didn't quite make sense in relation to the plot, or weren't explained satisfactorily enough for me. I also thought the big twist was fairly obvious, but others may disagree. One of the biggest things I didn't like was the jumps around in time; even though they were clearly labeled, it just felt all over the place, particularly when it was also from different character point of views. It was interesting enough to not give up on, and that's about it for me.
Overall: this isn't a thriller I'd personally recommend but of course there are other readers that have really enjoyed it so it's always worth a go if it sounds intriguing to you.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Across The Water by Ingrid Alexandra. (2020).
In a remote Australian backwater, Liz's only lifeline to the real world is through her window where she is obsessively watching the three houses across the creek. It's the middle house that transfixes her: with beautiful Delilah and her angelic baby. When both mother and baby go missing, everybody in the town seems to believe it's a murder-suicide in the water perpetrated by Delilah. Everyone except Liz. Wrestling with her demons, Liz risks everything to uncover a truth that becomes darker at every corner...
Unfortunately I have to admit that I didn't really like this book much. I thought there were a lot of things that didn't quite make sense in relation to the plot, or weren't explained satisfactorily enough for me. I also thought the big twist was fairly obvious, but others may disagree. One of the biggest things I didn't like was the jumps around in time; even though they were clearly labeled, it just felt all over the place, particularly when it was also from different character point of views. It was interesting enough to not give up on, and that's about it for me.
Overall: this isn't a thriller I'd personally recommend but of course there are other readers that have really enjoyed it so it's always worth a go if it sounds intriguing to you.
September 29, 2020
Great premise, the good started well when Liz and Adam go to Australia where Liz was left alone during the day and she got to spying on the neighbors almost to he point of obsessiveness until the neighbor and her child disappeared.
With multiple timelines and POVs it was a bit confusing for me, especially during such stressful times, the story had a few interesting moments where I could feel the suspense but I had many questions too which were left unanswered. Overall, it was a okay read.
With multiple timelines and POVs it was a bit confusing for me, especially during such stressful times, the story had a few interesting moments where I could feel the suspense but I had many questions too which were left unanswered. Overall, it was a okay read.
August 1, 2021
As this book is set in Australia I was immediately drawn to it, but then that doesn't always mean it will make it a good read let alone a good thriller. But the premise gave one that eerie atmospheric chill of a cross between voyeurism and obsessiveness. The tagline promotes "The Woman in the Window meets The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" which promises something of a creepy read. And I couldn't wait to get started.
Newlyweds Adam and Liz Dawson have just arrived in the remote area in the Myall Lakes, some three hours north of Sydney, and soon discover that it is a far cry from the bustling noise of East London to which they are used. But Adam's father has recently passed away and the couple have arrived in the regional town to organise his house that sits alongside a tidal creek in a row of other deserted homes before selling it and returning to the UK. It's a temporary move until they are able to purchase their dream house with money from the estate.
Whilst Liz sorts out his father's effects Adam commutes to Sydney to organise his father's business and legal affairs, but the long days leave Liz feeling alone in the old house. She begins to occupy herself by watching her neighbours on the other side of the creek from the loft window. Across the water, on the inhabited side, are three occupied houses in which Dee, Rob and baby Ruby live next to an older couple Erica and Samir with an adjoining gate to one another's yards. In the third house resides handsome bartender Zac, who has a habit of startling as well as flirting with Liz. He once told her, upon indicating his house, that if she were to scream he would hear.
Liz spends her lonely days and nights watching from her window, even using Adam's father's binoculars which he kept there for bird watching. Even a power blackout amidst a storm doesn't keep her from her new occupation. She becomes hooked on watching the lives of her neighbours, idly wondering what causes the obvious friction between the two women and the pensiveness she sees in an often naked Dee by her window at night, with whom she becomes particularly obsessed. Dee is a struggling new mother with a young baby who is the image of her...and yet Liz often finds herself wondering where is her husband?
And then Dee turns up at her house one night with an obvious slur to her words and the need for company. The two women share a few drinks and when Liz offers to listen should she need to talk, Dee gives her a strange look. Then a ping of a text on her phone and Dee suddenly makes her excuses and is gone before Liz knows what happened. What was that all about?
The following day, Dee and her baby Ruby are missing and Liz is frantic to uncover the truth behind her disappearance. Because, she realises, she must have been the last person to see Dee alive. Who amongst her neighbours is harbouring the secret of what happened to Dee and baby Ruby? And can she discover the truth before it's too late?
Although Liz is the main narrator, the story also unfolds through the perspectives of Dee and Erica though their narratives move back and forth in time leading up to Dee's disappearance. I am used to this type of narrative and timeline, but even I found it a little confusing at times and had to go back to clarify what month, day and time I was actually in now.
ACROSS THE WATER moves at a steady pace and although it isn't mentioned, it bears an uncanny resemblance to Paula Hawkins' "The Girl on the Train" with the voyeuristic nature of its narrative. Unfortunately, I don't think it was as interesting or as engaging as "The Girl on the Train" and I found myself losing interest about halfway. But as it was a quick read, I stayed with it hoping it would improve. It did offer a surprising twist I didn't anticipate which was a refreshing surprise.
I wouldn't call ACROSS THE WATER a thriller as such...more of an atmospheric psychological mystery that has an eerie creepiness that lends itself to the thriller genre.
There was one aspect that I feel I must point out as misleading and incorrect. Plovers. Annoying noisy birds that nest where ever the hell they like and attack you for even venturing near. They are not native to that specific area around the Myall Lakes but are found throughout Australia. We have them here and they are something of a menace. But I guess for the story to work, it had to be such.
Another thing I didn't like was the pure crassness of some of the language. I mean, I can take swearing in books but this was on another scale that I was just uncomfortable with.
Still...if you like atmospheric thrillers that are creepy and claustrophobic, then I'm sure you will like ACROSS THE WATER. For me, I can't rate it past 2 stars.
I would like to thank #IngridAlexander, #Netgalley and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #AcrossTheWater in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Newlyweds Adam and Liz Dawson have just arrived in the remote area in the Myall Lakes, some three hours north of Sydney, and soon discover that it is a far cry from the bustling noise of East London to which they are used. But Adam's father has recently passed away and the couple have arrived in the regional town to organise his house that sits alongside a tidal creek in a row of other deserted homes before selling it and returning to the UK. It's a temporary move until they are able to purchase their dream house with money from the estate.
Whilst Liz sorts out his father's effects Adam commutes to Sydney to organise his father's business and legal affairs, but the long days leave Liz feeling alone in the old house. She begins to occupy herself by watching her neighbours on the other side of the creek from the loft window. Across the water, on the inhabited side, are three occupied houses in which Dee, Rob and baby Ruby live next to an older couple Erica and Samir with an adjoining gate to one another's yards. In the third house resides handsome bartender Zac, who has a habit of startling as well as flirting with Liz. He once told her, upon indicating his house, that if she were to scream he would hear.
Liz spends her lonely days and nights watching from her window, even using Adam's father's binoculars which he kept there for bird watching. Even a power blackout amidst a storm doesn't keep her from her new occupation. She becomes hooked on watching the lives of her neighbours, idly wondering what causes the obvious friction between the two women and the pensiveness she sees in an often naked Dee by her window at night, with whom she becomes particularly obsessed. Dee is a struggling new mother with a young baby who is the image of her...and yet Liz often finds herself wondering where is her husband?
And then Dee turns up at her house one night with an obvious slur to her words and the need for company. The two women share a few drinks and when Liz offers to listen should she need to talk, Dee gives her a strange look. Then a ping of a text on her phone and Dee suddenly makes her excuses and is gone before Liz knows what happened. What was that all about?
The following day, Dee and her baby Ruby are missing and Liz is frantic to uncover the truth behind her disappearance. Because, she realises, she must have been the last person to see Dee alive. Who amongst her neighbours is harbouring the secret of what happened to Dee and baby Ruby? And can she discover the truth before it's too late?
Although Liz is the main narrator, the story also unfolds through the perspectives of Dee and Erica though their narratives move back and forth in time leading up to Dee's disappearance. I am used to this type of narrative and timeline, but even I found it a little confusing at times and had to go back to clarify what month, day and time I was actually in now.
ACROSS THE WATER moves at a steady pace and although it isn't mentioned, it bears an uncanny resemblance to Paula Hawkins' "The Girl on the Train" with the voyeuristic nature of its narrative. Unfortunately, I don't think it was as interesting or as engaging as "The Girl on the Train" and I found myself losing interest about halfway. But as it was a quick read, I stayed with it hoping it would improve. It did offer a surprising twist I didn't anticipate which was a refreshing surprise.
I wouldn't call ACROSS THE WATER a thriller as such...more of an atmospheric psychological mystery that has an eerie creepiness that lends itself to the thriller genre.
There was one aspect that I feel I must point out as misleading and incorrect. Plovers. Annoying noisy birds that nest where ever the hell they like and attack you for even venturing near. They are not native to that specific area around the Myall Lakes but are found throughout Australia. We have them here and they are something of a menace. But I guess for the story to work, it had to be such.
Another thing I didn't like was the pure crassness of some of the language. I mean, I can take swearing in books but this was on another scale that I was just uncomfortable with.
Still...if you like atmospheric thrillers that are creepy and claustrophobic, then I'm sure you will like ACROSS THE WATER. For me, I can't rate it past 2 stars.
I would like to thank #IngridAlexander, #Netgalley and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #AcrossTheWater in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
November 30, 2020
This does remind me a little of Woman on a Train. A young woman spends time watching her neighbor's lives through the binoculars, giving their actions voice in her mind. She assigns each neighbor a story of their own and follows their comings and goings. She is bored so this is her main form of entertainment while she waits for her husband to come home from work each day. When one of the neighbors, a young woman with a small baby, goes missing, the police assume a suicide/ murder since most knew the young mother was struggling raising the baby on her own. But was it really suicide? When she starts questioning the police verdict, boredom turns into tension as the clues do not add up.
This is a great read. Slow to start as we meet all of the neighbors and get the back story in place. Then the tension starts to build. How could a young woman and a baby just disappear and no one questions it? Just remember, when you stir the pot, sometimes bad things come to the top......
This is a great read. Slow to start as we meet all of the neighbors and get the back story in place. Then the tension starts to build. How could a young woman and a baby just disappear and no one questions it? Just remember, when you stir the pot, sometimes bad things come to the top......
August 24, 2020
If you've read The Girl On The Train or The Woman In The Window (and really, if you have even a passing interest in thrillers, you probably have), then you probably don't need to read this. Indeed, I'm a little surprised that the existing reviews don't mention that this is practically a carbon copy of The Girl On The Train to the point that Paula Hawkins should probably sue for plagiarism!
Liz Dawson is the main narrator, holed up in a house that's part of a block of homes her husband Adam is trying to sell so that they can move on with their plans for their lives. Meanwhile, Liz is hooked on watching the lives of the people in the three houses opposite hers, divided by a creek that is known to have a heavy riptide. She is particularly obsessed with the beautiful Delilah Waters, who is struggling with being the mother of a difficult newborn. There are also the neighbours Erica and Samir Haddad on one side of Delilah, and bartender Zac on the other.
Sound familiar?
When Delilah (Dee) and her baby, Ruby, are reported missing, Liz is shocked, because she realises that she was the last person to see Dee alive. She keeps inserting herself into the investigation, determined to find out what happened to Dee and prove that she wasn't the neglectful mother that everybody is painting her out to be.
I'm surprised that I'm giving this 3 stars. I really shouldn't. Its resemblance to The Girl On The Train, right down to its twist ending, is really audacious. That book was set in the UK, and this is basically the Australian version, I guess! I also rolled my eyes at the fact we didn't just have one white woman with a secret, we had three! While Liz is the main narrator, there are perspectives from Dee and Erica, and all three of them mention incidents from their passt without elaborating until the last possible moment. Can we PLEASE move on from this narrative device?
But I enjoyed it. It moved at a decent clip and the three narrators were more interesting and sympathetic than what was found in The Girl In The Train. It wasn't as soulless and gimmicky as The Woman In The Window, the other book it resembles. But, seriously, the author needs to come up with some material a bit more original for her further literary efforts, because, man, this was such a formulaic copycat of more famous thriller iterations that I'm surprised the publishers put it to print without fearing a plagiarism lawsuit!
Liz Dawson is the main narrator, holed up in a house that's part of a block of homes her husband Adam is trying to sell so that they can move on with their plans for their lives. Meanwhile, Liz is hooked on watching the lives of the people in the three houses opposite hers, divided by a creek that is known to have a heavy riptide. She is particularly obsessed with the beautiful Delilah Waters, who is struggling with being the mother of a difficult newborn. There are also the neighbours Erica and Samir Haddad on one side of Delilah, and bartender Zac on the other.
Sound familiar?
When Delilah (Dee) and her baby, Ruby, are reported missing, Liz is shocked, because she realises that she was the last person to see Dee alive. She keeps inserting herself into the investigation, determined to find out what happened to Dee and prove that she wasn't the neglectful mother that everybody is painting her out to be.
I'm surprised that I'm giving this 3 stars. I really shouldn't. Its resemblance to The Girl On The Train, right down to its twist ending, is really audacious. That book was set in the UK, and this is basically the Australian version, I guess! I also rolled my eyes at the fact we didn't just have one white woman with a secret, we had three! While Liz is the main narrator, there are perspectives from Dee and Erica, and all three of them mention incidents from their passt without elaborating until the last possible moment. Can we PLEASE move on from this narrative device?
But I enjoyed it. It moved at a decent clip and the three narrators were more interesting and sympathetic than what was found in The Girl In The Train. It wasn't as soulless and gimmicky as The Woman In The Window, the other book it resembles. But, seriously, the author needs to come up with some material a bit more original for her further literary efforts, because, man, this was such a formulaic copycat of more famous thriller iterations that I'm surprised the publishers put it to print without fearing a plagiarism lawsuit!
August 7, 2020
Right from the start, there’s an eerie atmosphere creeping in. What could you want more than a house on the water in sunny Australia? British Liz Dawson is newlywed to Australian Adam. His father died recently and now they’re trying to sell his business and house in order to buy their dream house in London. While he’s in the Sidney, she stays alone in the old house in a row deserted homes on the far side of a creek you can only cross by boat or by an unstable wooden footbridge. She keeps herself occupied by spying on her neighbours on the other side of the water. Across the creek (on the side of the village) stand 3 inhabited houses. Dee, Rob, and baby Ruby live next to the older couple Eric and Samir. There’s also the handsome bartender Zac, who startles and scares Liz on several occasions but who also flirts.
The book is told by the three women, who have a strange and complicated relationship with one another. We only find out what’s up with each of them as they tell their tale. Dee never wanted to be a mother and Ruby was a big surprise. She thinks that she’s a horrible mother and on occasion doesn’t cope too well. Her husband is away. Erica’s her best friend and often takes Ruby with her. All of them have secrets and a history of psychological problems in their past. You can’t be sure if their version of the story they tell, is real. Then Dee and Ruby disappear …
I thought it a creepy read. The story starts out very slowly when Liz moves in. We also get the story of Dee that starts out 6 months earlier when Ruby was about to be born. You know that not everything is what it appears to be, but it takes a long time before you discover what’s happening. Suspicions grow when Liz thinks to spot secretive behaviour that may have a very normal explanation. But the thing is that you just don’t know. The eventual outcome was still a bit of a surprise to me. Apart from the last bit when all is revealed, it was a straight forward story. I wouldn’t call it a thriller, but more a psychological mystery full of suspense. It was a quick read for me as I wanted to find out
I thank One More Chapter for the ARC they provided through NetGalley; this is my unbiased, honest review of it.
The book is told by the three women, who have a strange and complicated relationship with one another. We only find out what’s up with each of them as they tell their tale. Dee never wanted to be a mother and Ruby was a big surprise. She thinks that she’s a horrible mother and on occasion doesn’t cope too well. Her husband is away. Erica’s her best friend and often takes Ruby with her. All of them have secrets and a history of psychological problems in their past. You can’t be sure if their version of the story they tell, is real. Then Dee and Ruby disappear …
I thought it a creepy read. The story starts out very slowly when Liz moves in. We also get the story of Dee that starts out 6 months earlier when Ruby was about to be born. You know that not everything is what it appears to be, but it takes a long time before you discover what’s happening. Suspicions grow when Liz thinks to spot secretive behaviour that may have a very normal explanation. But the thing is that you just don’t know. The eventual outcome was still a bit of a surprise to me. Apart from the last bit when all is revealed, it was a straight forward story. I wouldn’t call it a thriller, but more a psychological mystery full of suspense. It was a quick read for me as I wanted to find out
I thank One More Chapter for the ARC they provided through NetGalley; this is my unbiased, honest review of it.
June 1, 2020
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐
PUBLICATION DAY: July 9, 2020
Life gets a little crazy across the water...
PLOT SUMMARY:
Liz and Adam have recently married after a whirlwind courtship. Settling down temporarily in a remote cottage near a river, Liz begins to heal after a traumatic episode at work. With Adam away each day at work, Liz has lots of time to spy on her neighbours across the river...especially Dee and her gorgeous baby Ruby. When Dee and Ruby go missing, Liz is afraid something sinister may have happened? But can she be trusted? Or is she suffering from too much stress? What really happened that fateful night?
PROS and CONS:
I really like the setting in Across The Water. The remote, dangerous location of the cottage adds a suspenseful element to the story. Liz’s obsession with her neighbours also sets the scene for some tense moments.
The flow of the story was a little difficult however. There are a lot of dates, days, and times to keep straight, as well as the switching of POV’s between Liz, Dee and Erica. I really like how it switched between the three women in order to flesh out the story, but I must admit to finding the multiple dates and times hard to follow. As such, it took me a little while to get into the story.
Having said that, I enjoyed the dark, menacing tone that infiltrated this book, where everyone is a suspect and you wonder if anyone is ever truly safe.
YES or NO:
It’s a MAYBE - seasoned thriller lovers will have no problem working things out, but for those new to the genre, you’ll enjoy it!
3 Stars
PUBLICATION DAY: July 9, 2020
Life gets a little crazy across the water...
PLOT SUMMARY:
Liz and Adam have recently married after a whirlwind courtship. Settling down temporarily in a remote cottage near a river, Liz begins to heal after a traumatic episode at work. With Adam away each day at work, Liz has lots of time to spy on her neighbours across the river...especially Dee and her gorgeous baby Ruby. When Dee and Ruby go missing, Liz is afraid something sinister may have happened? But can she be trusted? Or is she suffering from too much stress? What really happened that fateful night?
PROS and CONS:
I really like the setting in Across The Water. The remote, dangerous location of the cottage adds a suspenseful element to the story. Liz’s obsession with her neighbours also sets the scene for some tense moments.
The flow of the story was a little difficult however. There are a lot of dates, days, and times to keep straight, as well as the switching of POV’s between Liz, Dee and Erica. I really like how it switched between the three women in order to flesh out the story, but I must admit to finding the multiple dates and times hard to follow. As such, it took me a little while to get into the story.
Having said that, I enjoyed the dark, menacing tone that infiltrated this book, where everyone is a suspect and you wonder if anyone is ever truly safe.
YES or NO:
It’s a MAYBE - seasoned thriller lovers will have no problem working things out, but for those new to the genre, you’ll enjoy it!
3 Stars
August 6, 2020
The premise of this book hooked me - Liz and her new husband Adam come to Australia after their honeymoon, to get Adam's recently deceased father's home ready to sell. The house is isolated, the closest neighbours across a creek, and Liz is alone for long periods of time as Adam commutes into Sydney to sell his father's business. Liz works at a domestic violence shelter back in England, and is suffering PTSD following a tragic event with one of the women from the shelter. To take her mind off things, she begins to spy on the neighbours across the creek. One is a young woman - Dee - with a small baby who seems to have a fraught relationship with the couple next door. When Dee and her baby go missing, Liz is convinced the neighbours have something to do with it, and tries to understand what has happened.
This book had the potential to be so good. I was fascinated by Dee's story, of wrestling with her reluctance to become a mother and the threat of her dark past catching up on her. I was intrigued by neighbours, particularly the wife Erica who seemed to loathe Dee yet would drop everything to help Dee with her baby. And of course, there was the mysterious disappearance. But...the writing really let this book down. There were so many inconsistencies in the plot, so many twists that only existed because someone for whatever inexplicable reason didn't say the obvious thing, and so many red herrings that felt too forced. And don't get me started on whiny, ungrateful Liz and all her pointless moaning. This book is told from the POV of the three female characters, but they all sounded the same, so my feelings towards Liz started to bleed into how I felt about the others...and the book in general.
So, this is a quick read and if you're into your mysteries then it might be for you (because I will say, I didn't guess the ending). But for me, it had too many flaws to feel satisfying.
I was sent a copy of this title by HarperCollins UK in return for a review. All opinions my own.
This book had the potential to be so good. I was fascinated by Dee's story, of wrestling with her reluctance to become a mother and the threat of her dark past catching up on her. I was intrigued by neighbours, particularly the wife Erica who seemed to loathe Dee yet would drop everything to help Dee with her baby. And of course, there was the mysterious disappearance. But...the writing really let this book down. There were so many inconsistencies in the plot, so many twists that only existed because someone for whatever inexplicable reason didn't say the obvious thing, and so many red herrings that felt too forced. And don't get me started on whiny, ungrateful Liz and all her pointless moaning. This book is told from the POV of the three female characters, but they all sounded the same, so my feelings towards Liz started to bleed into how I felt about the others...and the book in general.
So, this is a quick read and if you're into your mysteries then it might be for you (because I will say, I didn't guess the ending). But for me, it had too many flaws to feel satisfying.
I was sent a copy of this title by HarperCollins UK in return for a review. All opinions my own.
July 19, 2020
Liz has recently married Adam Dawson having known him for a relatively short amount of time. The newlyweds are currently living in Adam's recently deceased father's remote house in Australia, which is only accessible by boat. With Adam at work the majority of the time, Liz doesn't have much contact with the world outside and spends hours watching the three house across the creek. One of them in particular fascinates her - the home of Delilah (Dee) Waters and her little baby girl, Ruby. But then Dee and Ruby disappear...
I loved this well crafted tale of suspense and doubt. The reader was drip-fed tidbits of information by author Ingrid Alexandra throughout the book and I felt a pressing need to read on to fit the pieces together. The characters were well drawn and all had a relevance to the solid plot, even if I did not particularly like them. I suspected many people of Dee and Ruby's disappearances, each of whom were plausible culprits. A very engaging and fulfilling read.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I loved this well crafted tale of suspense and doubt. The reader was drip-fed tidbits of information by author Ingrid Alexandra throughout the book and I felt a pressing need to read on to fit the pieces together. The characters were well drawn and all had a relevance to the solid plot, even if I did not particularly like them. I suspected many people of Dee and Ruby's disappearances, each of whom were plausible culprits. A very engaging and fulfilling read.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
May 2, 2022
Okay, so my thoughts on this book are somewhere in the middle. The story progressed pretty well. I was entertained throughout most of the book however it was a slow burn so there were some moments where it felt like nothing was happening. I quite enjoyed it as a whole. It was an easy read and I found I just flew through it.
While this book is definitely interesting and entertaining it is also anticlimactic. When we get to the big reveals instead of being released as a bang, they are released slowly which did make them less shocking. I would compare the reveals as a long, slow turn down a hill you've never been down before. You're not sure what you'll find, but you'll figure it out in a gentle way and not all at once.
Overall, if you're looking for an entertaining slow burn then maybe you'd enjoy this one. If you're looking for a book that's thrilling with twists and turns that will leave you pleasantly exhausted then maybe go for something else.
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
While this book is definitely interesting and entertaining it is also anticlimactic. When we get to the big reveals instead of being released as a bang, they are released slowly which did make them less shocking. I would compare the reveals as a long, slow turn down a hill you've never been down before. You're not sure what you'll find, but you'll figure it out in a gentle way and not all at once.
Overall, if you're looking for an entertaining slow burn then maybe you'd enjoy this one. If you're looking for a book that's thrilling with twists and turns that will leave you pleasantly exhausted then maybe go for something else.
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
September 23, 2020
There is a bit of a common theme with some of these "psychological thrillers" - a woman portrayed as being unstable and taking prescription medication, who is constantly drinking wine throughout the whole book. She sees something out the window, has some information about a crime that has been committed, but no-one believes her because she's considered to be unstable and unreliable.
I found the timeline a bit hard to follow, the chapters were narrated by three different characters but there was no logical flow to the timeline.
I found the timeline a bit hard to follow, the chapters were narrated by three different characters but there was no logical flow to the timeline.
August 16, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up
Recently married couple, Liz and Adam move to a remote riverside town after the death of Adam's father. It is a temporary move while they sell Adams father’s house. The house is secluded on the opposite side of the river to the town and accessible only by boat or the footbridge if the tide isn’t high.
Adam spends a lot of time away in Sydney for work, leaving Liz who is suffering with PTSD after a recent work trauma home alone for long periods of time. To fill her boring days, Liz finds herself watching the lives of the people across the river. She becomes particularly fixed on her neighbour Delilah (Dee) and her baby Ruby.
When Dee and baby Ruby go missing, Liz is sure it is foul play. There was the strange man on Dee's doorstep, the black eye Dee was sporting when she unexpectedly turned up to Liz's house late one night. She had also told Liz she was scared of someone but who? Was that all just imagined by Liz in her current trauma induced mind? Perhaps the combination of alcohol and sleeping pills disillusioned Dee even coming over? Dee never wanted children and she wasn’t coping very well. Erica was often helping to look after the baby. Perhaps as everyone suspects, she did leap into the river to her own death taking the baby with her.
The story is told by the POV’S of three women, Liz and her neighbours across the river, Dee and Erica. It was told in multiple dates and times building up the story with the past traumas of each of them and their current situation.
I liked the premise of this story and the location was a perfect setting for a suspenseful, thrilling read but the twists were a little predictable and whilst it held my attention, I did guess the plot twists in this one. An easy read with a nice writing style and short chapters with just enough information to keep you entertained and wanting to keep reading despite suspecting the twists that were coming.
Thank you Harper Collins Australia for sending me a ARC of this in return for an honest review.
Recently married couple, Liz and Adam move to a remote riverside town after the death of Adam's father. It is a temporary move while they sell Adams father’s house. The house is secluded on the opposite side of the river to the town and accessible only by boat or the footbridge if the tide isn’t high.
Adam spends a lot of time away in Sydney for work, leaving Liz who is suffering with PTSD after a recent work trauma home alone for long periods of time. To fill her boring days, Liz finds herself watching the lives of the people across the river. She becomes particularly fixed on her neighbour Delilah (Dee) and her baby Ruby.
When Dee and baby Ruby go missing, Liz is sure it is foul play. There was the strange man on Dee's doorstep, the black eye Dee was sporting when she unexpectedly turned up to Liz's house late one night. She had also told Liz she was scared of someone but who? Was that all just imagined by Liz in her current trauma induced mind? Perhaps the combination of alcohol and sleeping pills disillusioned Dee even coming over? Dee never wanted children and she wasn’t coping very well. Erica was often helping to look after the baby. Perhaps as everyone suspects, she did leap into the river to her own death taking the baby with her.
The story is told by the POV’S of three women, Liz and her neighbours across the river, Dee and Erica. It was told in multiple dates and times building up the story with the past traumas of each of them and their current situation.
I liked the premise of this story and the location was a perfect setting for a suspenseful, thrilling read but the twists were a little predictable and whilst it held my attention, I did guess the plot twists in this one. An easy read with a nice writing style and short chapters with just enough information to keep you entertained and wanting to keep reading despite suspecting the twists that were coming.
Thank you Harper Collins Australia for sending me a ARC of this in return for an honest review.
April 6, 2021
From the stereotypical unhinged lonely wife that pops pills with a vino chaser, to the husband who has no qualms about leaving his new bride to potential harm - even after a woman and her baby go missing across the way - I think from the outset that there has to be something in the water.
The story is still lip-smackingly readable from an author whose undeniable strength is in penning a quick-thrill read. But even a Hunter Valley local like me was sodden with the copious amounts of wine that Alexandra relies on to try and flesh out the profiles of almost every one of her characters.
Three out of four of these sad souls have the same problem with the idea of parenthood as well it seems, and it makes for both unlikeable as well as shallow figures that between them, effectively weigh down Alexandra's boat.
Having to quaff the maniacal scenes near the end has been done too many times not to have made me grimace. And although the cameo of plovers helped to lend a certain kind of spooky, they are endemic to a large area of this massive island continent, not just swampy old Oyster Cove.
I would rather have been spared the 'It's my body, my choice' stance regarding abortion, but then this amoral viewpoint is no more original than the rest of the narrative. Nevertheless, I will be interested to see the next vintage from Ingrid Alexandra.
The story is still lip-smackingly readable from an author whose undeniable strength is in penning a quick-thrill read. But even a Hunter Valley local like me was sodden with the copious amounts of wine that Alexandra relies on to try and flesh out the profiles of almost every one of her characters.
Three out of four of these sad souls have the same problem with the idea of parenthood as well it seems, and it makes for both unlikeable as well as shallow figures that between them, effectively weigh down Alexandra's boat.
Having to quaff the maniacal scenes near the end has been done too many times not to have made me grimace. And although the cameo of plovers helped to lend a certain kind of spooky, they are endemic to a large area of this massive island continent, not just swampy old Oyster Cove.
I would rather have been spared the 'It's my body, my choice' stance regarding abortion, but then this amoral viewpoint is no more original than the rest of the narrative. Nevertheless, I will be interested to see the next vintage from Ingrid Alexandra.
July 8, 2020
Liz has briefly moved to a secluded area in Australia with her husband Adam after his father dies and they need to sell his house. The house stands on one side of a creek, with three other houses on the other side; one belonging to Dee, Rob and their baby Ruby, one is Erica and Samir's and the third is Zac's, who works in the local bar.
Liz passes the time in the evening, whilst her husband is commuting to Sydney for work, by looking across the creek at the goings-on of the houses she sees. She becomes familiar with these people then one day, Dee and baby Ruby go missing. But what has Liz seen? What does she know?
It took me a while to get into this and it took to almost halfway into the book to finally get somewhere but when it did, I was hooked. We learn that Dee is struggling with being a mother as it's never what she wanted and Erica is struggling with the loss of four babies.
We are given little breadcrumbs of information throughout the book and I felt desperate to read on to put all the pieces together. You suspect so many people of Dee and Ruby's disappearance and the ending was great. I did end up guessing a little of it but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Liz passes the time in the evening, whilst her husband is commuting to Sydney for work, by looking across the creek at the goings-on of the houses she sees. She becomes familiar with these people then one day, Dee and baby Ruby go missing. But what has Liz seen? What does she know?
It took me a while to get into this and it took to almost halfway into the book to finally get somewhere but when it did, I was hooked. We learn that Dee is struggling with being a mother as it's never what she wanted and Erica is struggling with the loss of four babies.
We are given little breadcrumbs of information throughout the book and I felt desperate to read on to put all the pieces together. You suspect so many people of Dee and Ruby's disappearance and the ending was great. I did end up guessing a little of it but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
December 13, 2020
**4.5 stars**
I am so surprised by the low rating of this book! At the time of reading it was 3.56.
I loved this book! I am so surprised by some of the negative reviews, I really enjoyed it!
This was a great Aussie novel, that meets so many of of my favorite thriller tropes.
- Small cast
- Isolated town
- A storm
- Newlyweds with secrets
-Possible unreliable narrator
- Unlikeable characters
-Citizen detective
I didn't particularly like any of the characters in this novel, which is good because I felt like you couldn't trust anyone. Each of the characters has their own troubles with mental health and is struggling in some way or another.
I liked the feeling of isolation that the author created. While people were physically around, all of the female characters were isolated. None had a strong support system (with the exception of Erica and Samir), or particular close friendships (I would not call what Erica and Dee has a friendship). The river keeping Liz away from the town is a metaphor for how emotionally isolated she is.
Beautiful piece of writing, looking forward to reading more by the author !
I am so surprised by the low rating of this book! At the time of reading it was 3.56.
I loved this book! I am so surprised by some of the negative reviews, I really enjoyed it!
This was a great Aussie novel, that meets so many of of my favorite thriller tropes.
- Small cast
- Isolated town
- A storm
- Newlyweds with secrets
-Possible unreliable narrator
- Unlikeable characters
-Citizen detective
I didn't particularly like any of the characters in this novel, which is good because I felt like you couldn't trust anyone. Each of the characters has their own troubles with mental health and is struggling in some way or another.
I liked the feeling of isolation that the author created. While people were physically around, all of the female characters were isolated. None had a strong support system (with the exception of Erica and Samir), or particular close friendships (I would not call what Erica and Dee has a friendship). The river keeping Liz away from the town is a metaphor for how emotionally isolated she is.
Beautiful piece of writing, looking forward to reading more by the author !
June 11, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the arc of Across The Water by Ingrid Alexandra.❤️
Thank you to Ingrid Alexandra for writing this page gripping book❤️
This follows Liz and Adam who have recently wed after being romantically connected before marriage, they decide to settle down together near a river with a cottage nearby. After a traumatic event while working Liz is starting to heal from these events as she is severely , her husband works away each day so thus gives Liz a change to be the spying on her neighbours across the river, the neighbour is Dee Dee and her baby whose name is called Ruby❤️, Mysteriously a horrific event happens and Dee Dee and Ruby disappear and go missing which worries Liz a lot and she think something horrific and frightening has happened to them
Thank you to Ingrid Alexandra for writing this page gripping book❤️
This follows Liz and Adam who have recently wed after being romantically connected before marriage, they decide to settle down together near a river with a cottage nearby. After a traumatic event while working Liz is starting to heal from these events as she is severely , her husband works away each day so thus gives Liz a change to be the spying on her neighbours across the river, the neighbour is Dee Dee and her baby whose name is called Ruby❤️, Mysteriously a horrific event happens and Dee Dee and Ruby disappear and go missing which worries Liz a lot and she think something horrific and frightening has happened to them
February 5, 2021
From the author of The New Girl comes an other tense domestic noir, set in Australia where Liz has just relocated, and Delilah her neighbor struggling with motherhood, whose behaviors Liz has been watching. Liz is shocked when Delilah and her child disappears and investigates what the authorizes deem suicide. The novel is a bleak view of motherhood, trust and deceit with different timelines and narrators. It works as Alexandra is a great writer offering many versions of ‘truth”
November 9, 2024
Started out interesting.
You will enjoy this book if you like, The girl on the train .
You will enjoy this book if you like, The girl on the train .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2020
This was a good read. Fast-paced, but not read in a day fast-paced. I was pretty invested in what happened to Dee and her baby. It was pretty predictable as it got to the middle of the book but I’ll take predictable over a terrible read any day. As far as who was involved in her death was probably what became easy to guess, but the other players in the story did surprise me a bit. I don’t have any complaints about this book and I would recommend it for fans of the domestic thriller genre!
October 12, 2021
I absolutely loved this psychological thriller by Ingrid Alexandra. I could picture the area and characters perfectly and think Delilah looks like Clare Bowditch!! I loved the suspense and uncertainty of this story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy. I couldn't put this book down!!
June 1, 2020
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐
PUBLICATION DAY: July 9, 2020
Life gets a little crazy across the water...
PLOT SUMMARY:
Liz and Adam have recently married after a whirlwind courtship. Settling down temporarily in a remote cottage near a river, Liz begins to heal after a traumatic episode at work. With Adam away each day at work, Liz has lots of time to spy on her neighbours across the river...especially Dee and her gorgeous baby Ruby. When Dee and Ruby go missing, Liz is afraid something sinister may have happened? But can she be trusted? Or is she suffering from too much stress? What really happened that fateful night?
PROS and CONS:
I really like the setting in Across The Water. The remote, dangerous location of the cottage adds a suspenseful element to the story. Liz’s obsession with her neighbours also sets the scene for some tense moments.
The flow of the story was a little difficult however. There are a lot of dates, days, and times to keep straight, as well as the switching of POV’s between Liz, Dee and Erica. I really like how it switched between the three women in order to flesh out the story, but I must admit to finding the multiple dates and times hard to follow. As such, it took me a little while to get into the story.
Having said that, I enjoyed the dark, menacing tone that infiltrated this book, where everyone is a suspect and you wonder if anyone is ever truly safe.
YES or NO:
It’s a MAYBE - seasoned thriller lovers will have no problem working things out, but for those new to the genre, you’ll enjoy it!
3 Stars
PUBLICATION DAY: July 9, 2020
Life gets a little crazy across the water...
PLOT SUMMARY:
Liz and Adam have recently married after a whirlwind courtship. Settling down temporarily in a remote cottage near a river, Liz begins to heal after a traumatic episode at work. With Adam away each day at work, Liz has lots of time to spy on her neighbours across the river...especially Dee and her gorgeous baby Ruby. When Dee and Ruby go missing, Liz is afraid something sinister may have happened? But can she be trusted? Or is she suffering from too much stress? What really happened that fateful night?
PROS and CONS:
I really like the setting in Across The Water. The remote, dangerous location of the cottage adds a suspenseful element to the story. Liz’s obsession with her neighbours also sets the scene for some tense moments.
The flow of the story was a little difficult however. There are a lot of dates, days, and times to keep straight, as well as the switching of POV’s between Liz, Dee and Erica. I really like how it switched between the three women in order to flesh out the story, but I must admit to finding the multiple dates and times hard to follow. As such, it took me a little while to get into the story.
Having said that, I enjoyed the dark, menacing tone that infiltrated this book, where everyone is a suspect and you wonder if anyone is ever truly safe.
YES or NO:
It’s a MAYBE - seasoned thriller lovers will have no problem working things out, but for those new to the genre, you’ll enjoy it!
3 Stars
January 15, 2021
if I'm into a story enough then I acknowledge plot holes and cardboard characters with a wry smile, or don't notice them at all. There was enough here to kick sufficient soil in the holes, but I think the setting appealed to me more than most.
I don't know enough about Australia to point out inaccuracies about geography and native birds, main character Liz observing (spying) on her neighbours and weaving tales about their lives is what I would do. I like being near water, and Liz lives next to a creek with her new husband Adam. that said, I wasn't as gripped as I have been by many other books in this genre. The characters are too flimsy, with the Delilah being the most interesting but interesting in a cliched way: reluctantly reformed gal about town who likes a drink and isn't afraid to speak her mind.
Delilah and daughter Ruby are reported missing and when Delilah's body is discovered in the creek, it is accepted that her death was suicide. It was no secret that Dee was finding motherhood challenging, often leaving her daughter in the care of neighbour Erica, a sad, stern seeming woman who responds sharply to queries from Liz. Liz is unconvinced by the suicide narrative, but her lack of conviction is questionable because she is taking a break from work due to PTSD. Liz worked with victims of domestic violence and had a breakdown over a client she was unable to save.
I found Dee's descriptions of motherhood so moving and somewhat relatable. Dee's desperation had different roots, but not getting any sleep and those lonely, endless-seeming hours with a crying child are well-written.
Erica was intriguing because she seemed so flat and closed-off. The three viewpoints move back and forth through time and coalesce to a conclusion that was initially surprising but didn't do enough to lift the insubstantial feel of this book.
I don't know enough about Australia to point out inaccuracies about geography and native birds, main character Liz observing (spying) on her neighbours and weaving tales about their lives is what I would do. I like being near water, and Liz lives next to a creek with her new husband Adam. that said, I wasn't as gripped as I have been by many other books in this genre. The characters are too flimsy, with the Delilah being the most interesting but interesting in a cliched way: reluctantly reformed gal about town who likes a drink and isn't afraid to speak her mind.
Delilah and daughter Ruby are reported missing and when Delilah's body is discovered in the creek, it is accepted that her death was suicide. It was no secret that Dee was finding motherhood challenging, often leaving her daughter in the care of neighbour Erica, a sad, stern seeming woman who responds sharply to queries from Liz. Liz is unconvinced by the suicide narrative, but her lack of conviction is questionable because she is taking a break from work due to PTSD. Liz worked with victims of domestic violence and had a breakdown over a client she was unable to save.
I found Dee's descriptions of motherhood so moving and somewhat relatable. Dee's desperation had different roots, but not getting any sleep and those lonely, endless-seeming hours with a crying child are well-written.
Erica was intriguing because she seemed so flat and closed-off. The three viewpoints move back and forth through time and coalesce to a conclusion that was initially surprising but didn't do enough to lift the insubstantial feel of this book.
June 25, 2020
I would like to thank NetGallery, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and author Ingrid Alexandra for the opportunity of receiving a free E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was well written and kept me on the edge of my seat so much so that I finished this book in one sitting. I enjoyed the layout of the book especially the author's use of different character povs and the use of time and dates. The premise of the story is what first drew me in and ask for an E-Arc copy in order the read the entire story. The story involves a newly married woman named Liz and her husband. They come to his father's house in order to sell it so that he and Liz can start a new life together. As Liz's husband spends a lot of time away on business trips, Liz finds herself watching her neighbors across the lake. As Liz watches her neighbors more and more, the sudden disappearance of Dee and her child has Liz questioning all the weird things she keeps seeing in her neighbor's house. What really happens behinds our neighbors closed doors? I believe the characters were developed well. Each of these women had a complex past full of traumas that had me feeling sad for the situations that brought these women together. The build-up throughout the story had me guessing who exactly Dee's daughter's father was and what she might have chasing her from her past. I thought the ending was a little of a let down, but was able to pull all the strings together well. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last. I look forward to looking up some of the back list books by this author. I would recommend this book to those who love the movies like "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle."
September 20, 2020
3-1/2 stars: I love domestic thrillers, but the bar keeps going up. The more I read in this subgenre, the harder it is to find a book with twists that are both unexpected and satisfying.
“Across the Water” has a lot going for it: skillful writing, a tense, claustrophobic setting, and lots of creepy comings and goings in the night. Author Ingrid Alexandra raises some interesting issues with the three central women in the book, all of whom have troubled feelings about motherhood. Liz, our main protagonist, is childless and wants to stay that way. Dee, who has a baby, loves her daughter but feels trapped by motherhood. Erica, who longs to be a mother, went through five unsuccessful pregnancies and has an obsessive attachment to Dee’s baby. When Dee turns up missing, many people in their small community are quick to judge this less-than-perfect mother, suspecting she may have killed herself and her child.
In a book like this, so much rides on the ending. Does it deliver on the issues of these three very different women? Somewhat. Does it offer a satisfying, unexpected twist? For me, not quite. The book left me waiting for one more shoe to drop. Alexandra is a writer to watch, but in her next book, I’ll be looking for that extra punch.
“Across the Water” has a lot going for it: skillful writing, a tense, claustrophobic setting, and lots of creepy comings and goings in the night. Author Ingrid Alexandra raises some interesting issues with the three central women in the book, all of whom have troubled feelings about motherhood. Liz, our main protagonist, is childless and wants to stay that way. Dee, who has a baby, loves her daughter but feels trapped by motherhood. Erica, who longs to be a mother, went through five unsuccessful pregnancies and has an obsessive attachment to Dee’s baby. When Dee turns up missing, many people in their small community are quick to judge this less-than-perfect mother, suspecting she may have killed herself and her child.
In a book like this, so much rides on the ending. Does it deliver on the issues of these three very different women? Somewhat. Does it offer a satisfying, unexpected twist? For me, not quite. The book left me waiting for one more shoe to drop. Alexandra is a writer to watch, but in her next book, I’ll be looking for that extra punch.
June 14, 2020
Liz has just married Adam, after a whirlwind courtship. They have moved from Sydney, Australia to a remote fishing village in the countryside, living in the house that Adam's dad, Tim, had left to him after his death. They only need to stay long enough to settle some business affairs having to do with selling the house before they can return to city life. Living in the only inhabited house on the far side of the river, and secluded from the village, Liz becomes fixated on the houses on the other side.of the river. She spends the long days and nights that Adam must spend on business trips to Sidney using a found pair of binoculars to observe her neighbors--Dee and baby Ruby, and Erica and Samir. The mysterious clues that she gathers from watching their lives leads her to dangerous and tragic conclusions in a well-crafted novel of suspense. A really satisfying read!
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read a pre-pub galley of this novel in exchange for my opinion.
#acrossthewater #netgalley
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read a pre-pub galley of this novel in exchange for my opinion.
#acrossthewater #netgalley
August 27, 2020
Liz and Adam have had a whirlwind courtship and marriage, now they have travelled from England to settle Adam’s father’s estate in Australia. Unfortunately for Liz, this happens to be in an isolated spot on the river with few neighbours and a convoluted way to get to the nearest town. While Adam commutes each day to the city for work, Liz occupies her time by watching the neighbours across the river.
This book appears to have mixed reviews. I quite enjoyed it and found it a quick read in essence, although I enjoyed the first half of the book more, maybe it was the character setup. There are three narrators, with Liz being the main one, this was all easy to follow. With Liz experiencing a traumatic event within her work prior to moving to Australia, the reader is aware that she may be an unreliable narrator and slowly details of this is revealed.
Overall an easy read that had a satisfying conclusion.
Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.
This book appears to have mixed reviews. I quite enjoyed it and found it a quick read in essence, although I enjoyed the first half of the book more, maybe it was the character setup. There are three narrators, with Liz being the main one, this was all easy to follow. With Liz experiencing a traumatic event within her work prior to moving to Australia, the reader is aware that she may be an unreliable narrator and slowly details of this is revealed.
Overall an easy read that had a satisfying conclusion.
Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.
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